“The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.

Thus she cannot encourage the formation of narrow ruling groups which usurp the power of the State for individual interests or for ideological ends.

Authentic democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through education and formation in true ideals, and of the ‘subjectivity' of society through the creation of structures of participation and shared responsibility”.

There are often differing perceptions on what a democracy means.  Some persons think it is the freedom to do as one pleases, to hold the views one desires and make decisions that are satisfactory to their individual desires. Once persons adhere to the laws of the land, this is sufficient. The Church however cautions against this simplistic view of democracy. 

The Doctrine of the Church advises that “An authentic democracy is not merely the result of a formal observation of a set of rules but is the fruit of a convinced acceptance of the values that inspire democratic procedures: the dignity of every human person, the respect of human rights, commitment to the common good as the purpose and guiding criterion for political life.

If there is no general consensus on these values, the deepest meaning of democracy is lost and its stability is compromised”. Throughout the Compendium there has been emphasis on the dignity of the human person, on the common good and the respect for human rights.

These are the cornerstones of a democracy. This has implications for instance on laws relating to family life.  Is it in the interest of the common good and the dignity of the person to support legislation which allows same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, or to support abortion?

Beliefs that support same-sex marriages and abortion, for instance, can represent a form of ethical relativism, which is the position that there are no moral absolutes, no moral rights and wrongs.

Instead, right and wrong are based on social norms; this can be taken further to mean that our morals have evolved, that they have changed over time, and that they are not absolute. 

“The Church's social doctrine sees ethical relativism, which maintains that there are no objective or universal criteria for establishing the foundations of a correct hierarchy of values, as one of the greatest threats to modern-day democracies.”

Nowadays there is a tendency to claim that agnosticism* and skeptical relativism are the philosophy and the basic attitude which correspond to democratic forms of political life. Those who are convinced that they know the truth and firmly adhere to it are considered unreliable from a democratic point of view, since they do not accept that truth is determined by the majority, or that it is subject to variation according to different political trends.

The experience of many Catholics as being thought of as intolerant when they do not support things such as euthanasia, same-sex marriages and abortions is quite real. Some way feel that because Catholics are not in support of some of these things they go against democracy and worse they are not relevant to modern society.

The Doctrine of the Church however reminds us, “it must be observed in this regard that if there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political action, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power.

As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism. Democracy is fundamentally “a ‘system' and as such is a means and not an end.

It is a means to promoting the common good and for allowing all individuals to fulfill God’s purpose for them. Its ‘moral' value is not automatic, but depends on conformity to the moral law to which it, like every other form of human behaviour, must be subject: in other words, its morality depends on the morality of the ends which it pursues and of the means which it employs.”

Catholics therefore must persist in promoting what they know as true and right.

* Agnostics claim, either that it is not possible to have absolute or certain knowledge of the existence or non-existence of God or gods; or, alternatively, that while individual certainty may be possible, they personally have no knowledge. Agnosticism in both cases involves some form of scepticism (Wikepedia)

Next week we look at Institutions and democracy.

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House at 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk is Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.